BAGHDAD - "What! You must be kidding! Bush and Rice in Iraq?" said startled government employee Abu Ahmed on Monday when he learned the US president and his top advisers had landed unannounced in his country.
But 36-year-old Ahmed, out walking in the dangerous streets of his north Baghdad suburb, did not think much would come of the visit by President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser Stephen Hadley, Defence Secretary Robert Gates, and other senior military aides.
"I don't think Bush or Rice will achieve anything important in this surprise visit, since previous trips by other senior officials made no difference at all," he said.
Ahmed's wish? "I want them to put pressure on (Prime Minister) Nuri al-Maliki to put a halt to the activities of the Shiite militia that killed three people in our area yesterday."
Samir Saleh, a student at Mustansiriyah University, had not heard the news about the visit either.
"What is Bush up to? Is he going to prick the ear of Maliki because he failed to do what they want?" he asked when told of the visit.
Salah abu al-Qassim, 36, a Kurd who owns a clothing store in northern Iraq's Kurdish province of Sulaimaniyah, said by telephone that he believed the visit was aimed at shoring up Maliki, whose coalition is crumbling after walkouts by the main Sunni political blocs.
"Bush wants to reaffirm his support for the government to rebuff claims that he no longer backs it."
Yassir Safar, a trader in the busy Shorja market area of inner Baghdad, said the visit was significant because it comes within days of fiery Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr announcing a freeze of activities by his Mahdi Army militia.
US commanders had identified the Mahdi Army as the greatest threat to stability in Iraq.
"Their arrival at this time, just after Sadr stood down the Mahdi Army, could be an advantage," Safar said.
"There'll be changes in the political process and the American leaders have a lot in the pipeline that will help the government take things forward."
Traffic policeman Haider al-Saray was also unaware of the visit by the US heavyweights.
"Bush's arrival will not change Iraqis' lives because the country is overwhelmed by sectarianism," Saray said.
"I think he came mainly to see the US troops and to find a way to achieve victory in Iraq."
Ahmed Kadhim, a writer interviewed while walking down Palestine Street in the city centre, said the visit left him "neither happy nor unhappy."
"There will be no positive impact that will improve the situation here. The US administration is not convinced by the people in power in Iraq. This is obvious from the conflicting statements made by Bush and his top people."
Um Hussein, 40, accompanying her husband in Karrada neighbourhood in the centre of Baghdad, was dismissive of Bush's Iraqi stopover on his way to Australia.
"This visit will only favour US interests rather than ours," said Hussein, wearing the Islamic hijab veil. "He won't fix any of the problems plaguing Iraqis."
Plumber Khalid Zuheir, 33, said he had heard about Bush's arrival on the radio.
"Will he ask about the people getting killed every day?" he wondered. "We heard years ago they were coming to liberate Iraq, but they only brought tragedy."
09/03/2007 16:00 GMT